


Commit Ourselves Into the Depths

by mirrorless



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Fluff, Humor, Insecurity, Loss, Moral Ambiguity, Mostly Gen, Pre-Slash, Team Tobirama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 03:11:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7297123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirrorless/pseuds/mirrorless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is Saru's informant?</p>
<p>As if he were privy to the Senju's line of thought, the man's mouth twists and his tone becomes self-mocking.</p>
<p>"Uchiha Kagami, blood traitor, at your service, sir."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Commit Ourselves Into the Depths

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from the Hands Like Houses song "Developments".

 

Where is the damned informant?

Tobirama's molars grind together in old habit as he shoots another impatient glance to the sky.

The hour is late, moonlight waning. His tired, aching bones urge him to abandon this farce and return to the village where his clone (unbeknownst to his personal guard) currently presides in his stead, and the comfort of his waiting bed.

It is only the insistence of two memories that keep him here, in this still wood providing a feast for various annoying blood-sucking insects.

From only hours previous, Saru's face, pale and entreating as he kneels before the Hokage after the Council's decision earlier this night.

"For all the good he's done for the village, there is at least one Uchiha that must be spared!"

And from a lifetime before, his elder brother, sure and sturdy as he declares, loudly and not for the first or final time to all unfortunate enough to be within earshot, that it is possible for the Senju and Uchiha to find peace.

Tobirama allows himself a small snort in the darkness.

The Senju had indeed found peace, joining together to form an allied village with every clan in the region _excepting_ the Uchiha.

And here a Senju stands, waiting in the company of moonlight and parasites upon the pleasure of a traitor of that once great clan, at the behest of a soft-hearted disciple and a foolish ghost.

Two chakra signatures, one of an adult Uchiha, and one much smaller are approaching.

Tobirama stills completely against a broad and ancient tree trunk (Saru's predetermined meeting place), hiding all evidence of himself. He has not lived so long by taking unnecessary risks, and he will not merely assume that this is the company he's been expecting.

A man silently lights beside the tree, barely disturbing even the grass, slowly rising as-

_Sharingan!_

The Shodai Hokage's senses shriek into alert as the Uchiha carefully scans the area around the great tree. The instant the younger man's back turns, a kunai bearing the Hiraishin mark sails past his ear, and before the Uchiha can react Tobirama has the blade a hairsbreadth away from the delicate skin of his throat and the crucial arteries that lay just beneath.

"Yield."  
  
There is no bluster, no defiantly snarled threat to the Senju at his back. The Uchiha's chakra crackles with panic, but the man himself remains still and submissive, defenseless.

Desperate.

"Please," the Uchiha rasps, "Please, Lord Tobirama, take my life, tear the Sharingan from my skull- whatever your will. I beg you to spare my little child."

The tiny chakra signature from before, now a still and swaddled bundle in the crook of the younger man's arm. Tobirama can sense nothing ulterior, naught but wretched terror from the man held before him, and he puts his trust in his well-honed instincts. Still...

"While I take no joy in any child's death, the truth remains that if the boy lives he will grow to be an Uchiha shinobi." He says quietly as a slight tremor runs through his captive. "Why should I risk a child of Konoha by sparing this one?"

There is silence for a long moment, only a light breeze through dry leaves breaking the night's stillness, before the man whispers at last, "Because, Lord Tobirama, the boy's foolish father has already acted to spare the lives of untold children of your village."

Tobirama's eyes narrow.

An outlandish claim, but spoken truthfully, if the Senju's abilities as a sensor are still worth anything.

There is only one Uchiha living that Senju Tobirama has ever afforded a kind thought. The one that, during a mission gone awry some months earlier, had spared the lives of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō on the pretext of desiring peace with Konohagakure and the deposition of the current Uchiha Head- Setsuna.  
  
Having convinced the trusting Sarutobi of the truth of his intentions in a handful of subsequent encounters, that same Uchiha began to supply Tobirama's former student with information designed to thwart Uchiha Setsuna's plots to exterminate the future generations of the allied clans.

This is Saru's informant?

As if he were privy to the Senju's line of thought, the man's mouth twists and his tone becomes self-mocking.

"Uchiha Kagami, blood traitor, at your service, sir."

Tobirama's own scarred mouth warps into a scowl. "Why didn't you say that to begin with, instead of your self-sacrificial blabbering?"

The other shinobi's voice turns almost sheepish, despite the blade that still rests at his throat.

"You were threatening my son. Rational thinking abandoned me for a moment."

With a sigh and accompanying eyeroll, Tobirama lowers his blade, and steps carefully away from the pair.

The man- _Kagami_ , turns to face him slowly, uttering his own heavy sigh of relief as he adjusts the baby in his arms. "Thank you."

"It is hardly the time to offer me gratitude." Tobirama grumps, ignoring the fragile thread of warmth the sight of the relieved father softly cooing over the still-sleeping boy inspires in his chest. "The night holds dangers yet. I assume the child has been sedated?"

"A mild genjutsu, to keep him... content." There is regret there. To use such a technique on the fragile mind of a child so young-

"I was expecting Hiruzen." The Uchiha says, unsubtly shifting the topic of conversation. "I hope he is well? Your appearance in his stead is... quite the surprise."

Tobirama snorts softly, bringing his arms up to cross over his chest. "He's as well as ever he is. Do you know why he wished to meet with you tonight?"

The Uchiha sighs again, all good humor gone, and with its loss Tobirama can see a man worn ragged as he desperately tries to hold his crumbling world together.

"If I had to guess, I would say because I am out of time. That Konohagakure has decided to relieve itself at last of the threat some of my kin present."

A silver eyebrow raises. "Some?"

Kagami's eyes, now merely onyx black, meet Tobirama's crimson squarely. "Yes. And unfortunately those few are the most powerful of the clan."

"And that would explain why you requested this of Saru?" Tobirama says as he pulls a small vial containing an even smaller amount of clear fluid from a weapons pouch. Poison, the deadly effects of which are immediate and without antidote.

"Yes." The Uchiha says softly, eyes following the vial as though long-sought answers lay within. "I know my own strength, Hokage-sama, and while I am an equal at least to any of Setsuna's most devoted, were I to attempt a coup unaided I well know how the endeavor would end."

"Hn." Tobirama slowly turns the vial through his pale, calloused fingers as he considers the younger shinobi. "And of what benefit is it to Konoha that you should lead what remains of your clan in Setsuna's stead?"

Kagami's gaze leaves the poison and meets the Senju's once more. "Benefit? In truth, other than adding the formidable abilities of our bloodline to those gathered in your village... I do not know."

Tobirama huffs. "Your conclusion is close to the Council's own. At this very moment, by their order, Sarutobi Hiruzen and an elite team of Leaf shinobi are making preparations to ensure the Uchiha do not pose a threat for even one more sunrise."

The younger man stifles a sound of distressed irritation, running his unoccupied hand through unruly dark hair.

"The Uchiha are already dying, Lord Tobirama, not at the hands of time, or an enemy's blade, but from malnutrition, from sicknesses treatable had we the funds to secure a skilled healer's aid-"

The Uchiha turns despondent dark eyes down to the child in his arms. "My son, Shisui, is the only babe born within this past year to yet survive." His voice is quieter than the night wind in the leaves.  
  
A moment of silence passes, interrupted only by a nearby insect's insistent call for a mate.

"It was not always so desperate." The Uchiha says slowly, as if reluctantly tearing into old wounds best left to scar. "I was still too young for the battlefield when our clan... fractured."

Tobirama's mouth draws tight, long-buried and unwelcome memories of _exactly_ how that event had come to pass threatening to surface.

The man continues. "For those of us that remained in Fire Country, Lord Setsuna became our saviour, our strength. I still believe that, in the beginning, he truly had only the best interests of the Uchiha at heart."

Tobirama recalls the bastard's recent plot to destroy the village's Academy in an attempt to cripple the future of the allied clans. He prefers to think that Konoha's intelligence could have foiled that plan without Kagami's urgent missive to Saru, but...

"What changed, then? Why now, after years spent carefully avoiding any unnecessary provocation of his enemies, has he decided to outright challenge our collective might?"

The younger man offers him a twisted smile. "Have you heard it said that the true strength of the Uchiha is our capacity for love? Well, it seems it is also our most galling weakness."

He shifts the bundle in his arms.

"As I've said, the years have been lean, and as the fortunes of the united clans prospered our own have dwindled to near nothing, but Lord Setsuna kept ceaseless faith that the Uchiha could be a great power once again. Indeed, only two years ago, it seemed he might have finally been swayed by the insistent prodding of myself and a handful of others to enter into peace talks with Konoha in order to increase that possibility."

Kagami sighs, "But then... Setsuna's last child was lost, and all his resolve and hope with her. Now he and his most ardent supporters would welcome this battle, a final blaze of glory for the Uchiha, strong and defiant of the damned Senju until the very bitter end. They would make martyrs of us all."

"Whatever you believe it is I seek to gain from Setsuna's deposition, it is the truth that I only wish to secure something of a future for the younglings, for my own son. The children shouldn't have to endure without hope because Setsuna has lost his. The only chance for the survival of the Uchiha now is to fall upon the fragile mercy of old enemies; to swear allegiance to this village of united clans, and vow on the blood of all who have fallen before that there shall at last be peace between us."

Again, either the man is speaking the truth, or he is one of the most adept liars the Senju sensor has ever encountered. Tobirama can see how Saru would be drawn in by him.

Kagami fixes him with an assessing look.

"Years ago," he begins carefully, "I heard it said, though mockingly I'll grant, by some of the elders that your brother, Lord Hashirama, desired to renounce old enmities and forge a path to peace between our clans."

And the Hokage can't help but bristle hearing that name fall from an Uchiha tongue.  
  
"That _was_ a truth," he bites out, the desire to end this conversation, this ridiculous moonlit clandestine meeting, surging like a flash flood, "But my brother, and his foolish dream with him, lies cold deep in the earth."

If his voice falters just slightly on the last few words, it is kindly ignored by Kagami.

The younger shinobi's gaze is so intense upon him now that Tobirama half expects the man's Sharingan to flare to life again.

"Perhaps. Or is it _now_ a truth that you, Senju Tobirama, Shodai Hokage of Konohagakure, have dedicated your life to the fulfillment of that dream? Years of toil and sacrifice spent constructing every detail of this new village, convincing once adversarial clans to join with you for the sake of all your futures?"

"I know I am at a terrible disadvantage, on what may be the last night of the existence of my clan." Kagami says quietly, eyes falling to rest on his son. "Other than perhaps a few dozen weary souls to add to the population of your village, all I can offer is this: a final opportunity for you to to realize your brother's dream at last. Peace between the Uchiha and the Senju."

Resignation clear in every motion, Kagami steps forward, meeting Tobirama's eyes unwaveringly as he offers his precious burden to the stunned older man.

"My son, the dearest thing this world holds for me, in exchange for the means to prevent those whose hearts cannot be swayed from doing any further ill. You are hailed as the greatest sensor of the age, Lord Hokage; you must know the truth of the boy's worth to me, how entirely I would be destroyed should harm befall him."  
  
The man swallows hard. "If my... _assistance_ to Konoha has earned me any of your goodwill, I beseech you, however tonight's fortune finds the rest of the Uchiha, let him be spared. Let him grow bright and strong, nurtured by hope we have never known."

The man's chakra is a forcefully subdued blaze of intermingled love and anguish as Tobirama shifts to accept the baby with one hand while proffering the vial of poison with the other.

"You planned to leave him with Saru." He says as they warily make the exchange.

"Yes. As soon as I received his summons tonight I knew... I was certain Hiruzen would at least try to protect Shisui if I no longer could."  
  
"He considers himself in your debt still." Tobirama carefully repositions the sleeping boy in the crook of his arm. "It's only thanks to your mercy that he lives to be a father to his own child."

Kagami scoffs lightly at that, but his eyes do not stray from the bundle now in the Senju's possession.

"He's been recently weaned. He gets a bit fussy when he's tired or hot, and he's not at all scared of thunderstorms. That massive one that passed through a few weeks ago? He'd only clap and giggle at every peal..." The Uchiha's voice trails off on the last word.  
  
A moment of silence stands between them as they both contemplate the night ahead. Tobirama is the one to break it.

"Will they suspect your betrayal? Have they any inclination of your desire to integrate the Uchiha into the village?"

A brusque snort from the younger man. "Unlikely, and absolutely not. No one, not even Setsuna's most wizened and paranoid advisor, would imagine my desire to make peace with Konoha."

Another raised eyebrow. "Because of your unquestionable loyalty?"

Kagami's expression twists darkly. "Because of _what you are_."

Again a brief silence, but more tense, dangerous, than the last before the Uchiha cautiously continues.

"You have wrought hope from despair, Lord Tobirama, an incredible accomplishment, but you are hardly some benevolent god. We have heard the tales of the mad Kage who uses his unfortunate enemies for horrific experimentation and ignores all tradition and decency regarding the boundaries between the living and dead."

The Hokage has a Suiton jutsu on the tip of his tongue, but Kagami merely inclines his head in the direction of the Uchiha compound and continues mildly, "The young ones believe them, and fear you and your village. They have been convinced you would make them pay for the Senju blood shed by their forebears with their own."

"I have never seen the logic of holding a child responsible for the follies of their elders." Tobirama says quietly. "And for my part, Uchiha, your actions tonight may vouchsafe you the lives of those of your clan who would commit themselves to Konoha in word and deed. But I must ask why you would entrust fates so obviously precious to you with such a monster as myself?"

Kagami smiles, a worn and tired thing. "Your disciple is very... persuasive. Hiruzen has convinced me that as long as those of my blood are truly loyal to the village, your claws will remain sheathed to them. Far better to be your ally then, I should think. A ruthless leader who will stop at nothing, not even the supposed finality of death, to safeguard his own? How could I not desire such protection for them?"

Something squeals its last cry in the depths of the forest, causing both men to flinch.

The Uchiha's dark eyes meet Tobirama's once more, haunted and desperate as a starving wolf. "And, truly, I have no other choice."

Kagami's gaze falls for the final time to the innocent nestled warm and oblivious in the Hokage's arms.  
  
"Shisui... whatever befalls me tonight, may tomorrow's sun shine brighter for you, my dear little child."

Kagami is gone then, a soft rustle of leaves the only indication of his departure, and Tobirama stands once more alone next to the great tree.

There is nothing to prevent him from simply abandoning the babe in some ravine as he makes his way back to the village. It is likely the boy's father will meet his death providing a final service to Konoha- the defeat of, if not the Clan Head himself, then his most skilled shinobi, clearing the way for Saru's team to rout those remaining in the Uchiha camp with relative ease.

A stray gust of cool breeze, welcome to the Senju, has the child ( _Shisui_ ) nuzzling silently in his wrappings closer against the Hokage's chest, ignorant of the man's dark contemplations.

He thinks of fresh bodies for study, the Uchiha becoming nothing more than ash, their damned Sharingan at last interred to time and legend. He looks at the baby in his arms, hears Hashirama's gentle plea in the whispering of the leaves.

A lifetime's worth of collected ghosts batter Tobirama's mind with their opinions on the situation, some with howling rage, others with quiet insistence, but in the end, the decision is his alone.

With an effortless leap, he bounds into the woods and disappears into the night.

 

When Tobirama lights on the cliff overlooking Konoha, he flares his chakra to summon (perhaps some from their comfortable beds, but he doesn't let that deter him) the members of his old cell before sighing resignedly and breaking the weak genjutsu Kagami had placed over his son.

"Kai!"

The baby's tiny nose crinkles and he breaks into a huge yawn that shows off his little white teeth before enormous dark eyes blink wonderingly up at the Hokage.

"Hello, Shisui." Tobirama says stiffly, feeling not a little foolish. "My name is Tobirama. I'm... going to look after you. Until your father returns."

At that moment, several chakra signatures located in the direction of the Uchiha camp begin to sharply fade. The poison. Kagami is making his move.

"He had better return." Tobirama grumbles, irritably shrugging off the slight and unwelcome feeling of concern for the Uchiha shinobi, for the well-being of an ally.

Shisui gurgles in seeming agreement, tiny hand reaching up to bat the Senju on the chin.

Before the Hokage can process an appropriate response, one after another, the group consisting of some of his most trusted shinobi converge on his location.

Almost simultaneously, five pairs of incredulous eyes turn to the bundle in their former master's arms.

Shisui squeals, flailing again for the red slash on Tobirama's chin.

Koharu is the first to break the team's stunned silence.

"Sensei... what the hell is that?"

Homura coughs slightly. "Even a haggard witch such as yourself should be able to recognize a baby, Utatane. After all, doesn't your kind eat -"

He yelps and ducks as a handful of senbon fly at his face, and Tobirama rolls his eyes.

Wonderful, they're quarrelling again. Those two can be worse in a fractious snit than Danzō and-

Saru's face breaks into a wide smile as he steps forward and reaches out to take the unresisting Uchiha child from the Hokage.

"Hello, little one!" The shinobi tasked with leading the extermination of the child's clan come the dawn coos, clutching the baby securely against his chest as he looks up at Tobirama. "I take it this is Kagami's son, then?"

"Your pet Uchiha? Danzō asks, arms firmly folded over his chest lest anyone fall under the mistaken impression that _he_ would be willing to hold the boy. "Why would he hand over his child?"

"Don't call him that." Saru's voice is mild, but his eyes are stern as he addresses his comrade. "Kagami has proven himself an invaluable resource for Konoha."

Danzō scowls. "All he's proven is that he's willing to betray his own blood, and for what?"

"Him, I'd assume." Torifu answers, wiggling his fingers at the burbling baby in Hiruzen's arms. "He's so small..."

The Akimichi glances at Tobirama, concern clouding his features. "I'd heard reports that the Uchiha were lacking in supplies, but I didn't know they were _starving_."  
  
The child looks a bit undernourished perhaps, but nothing like the young victims of the hardships that Tobirama recalls from his own youth. Though Kagami had indicated the clan's fate seemed to be heading in that direction...

"Is that truly why the Uchiha has acted as Hiruzen's informant, Sensei?" Homura asks, pushing his still intact glasses up his nose. "To secure a place in our prosperous village for his son?"

Before Tobirama can respond, an enormous erruption of enraged chakra flares from the Uchiha camp, and, in the distance, he can just make out the murky outline of an colossal humanoid figure.

_Susano'o._

His team stills beside him.

"I hate to repeat myself, but-" murmurs Koharu, "Sensei... what the hell is that?"

Another burst of chakra, the signature recently familiar, fueled more by ruthless determination than unchecked fury, and a second distant giant rises to meet the first.

"A powerful manifestation of the Mangekyō Sharingan." The Hokage says, again willing his mind away from unpleasant memories. "One that has not been seen in the Land of Fire since before this village was formed."

He takes a step closer to the edge of the cliff, easily focusing on the two combatants as they burn through their chakra reserves.

"Uchiha Kagami seeks a future of peace with Konohagakure, not only for the sake of his own son, but for the very survival of the Uchiha clan. If the night falls in his favor, there may be no need for the Council's team to carry out their mission. Should he fail..."

He glances over his shoulder at Saru, who meets his eyes and, almost defiantly, clutches the Uchiha child closer to his chest.

It seems Kagami was right to entrust his precious son to the care of his unlikely ally.

A distant rumbling crash breaks through the night, and Tobirama grits his teeth as he feels Kagami waver and try to recover himself after being dealt a powerful blow.

He can also sense the unease growing in the shinobi that surround him; one does not have to be an innate sensor to feel the raw crackle of the raging power the two Uchiha are sparking.

The tension is broken by a sudden startled cry from Saru, and all eyes turn to see a tiny hand firmly latched on to the shinobi's tuft of newly grown beard.

There is a smattering of ill-repressed snickers.

"See," Koharu needles, "Even a baby Uchiha can tell you look foolish with that thing."

"It does appear to present a weak spot to the enemy." Homura observes, seemingly forgetting the threat posed by his own facial hair.

"I'll keep that in mind should I ever come up against an army of toddlers." Hiruzen says, wincing as the baby gives another sharp yank. Gently, he lifts the boy away from his body, prompting the release of his beard and inadvertently proffering the child to his clean-shaven Shimura teammate.

Danzō backs away with a smirk. "I think my face has endured quite enough already, thank you." He says, one hand stroking his deeply scarred chin. "I'd prefer to keep it out of reach of grubby Uchiha paws."

Saru scowls. "He's not a plague rat, Danzō."

"My baby cousins tend to get demanding and grabby when they're hungry." Torifu interrupts the beginning of an argument by addressing the Hokage. "More so than usual, anyway. Do you know when last the boy was fed, Sensei?"

Tobirama absently shakes his head, focus still on the Uchiha camp. Kagami and Setsuna's battle has turned to desperate man to man combat, with both shinobi nearing chakra exhaustion.

"I'm sure we can find little Shisui a good meal." Saru says, bouncing the baby lightly on his hip before pulling a face. "And perhaps... a change of clothing."

More snickering.

Danzō rolls his eyes. "As entertaining as it is to watch Hiruzen making a greater fool of himself than usual, I'm certain you didn't call us here in the middle of the night simply to babysit. What are your orders, Hokage-sama?"

Tobirama inhales deeply. "Those will ultimately depend on what the dawn brings, but for now - let us dare to hope, and make preparations for peace."

The Hokage looks down at the baby in his subordinate's arms.  
  
"Uchiha Kagami has won."

 

The gray haze of pre-dawn is just overtaking the darkness of night when he feels it: the procession consisting of every Uchiha remaining in the Land of Fire beginning to make its way toward the gates of the allied village.

Tobirama cannot sense true hostility from any of its members, though there is an abundance of trepidation throughout.

Kagami leads them, but slowly, clearly suffering, though not life-threateningly so, from injury and exhaustion resulting from his bout with the recently deceased Setsuna.

The Hokage has returned, alone, to his perch on the cliff above Konoha. After the night's events, there is no possibility of sleep; memories of a lifetime before, no longer able to be suppressed, will not allow him rest.

Peace with the Uchiha.

How many times had his brother espoused that possibility, even until the morning of his final battle against them?

Hashirama had danced through practiced steps with Madara while their remaining younger brothers did their utmost to kill each other. Izuna and himself had always been closely matched, and Tobirama had not hesitated to try out his newest battlefield tactic- the Flying Thunder God Slash.

For years afterward, Madara's scream would tear him, sweating, wild-eyed and panting from his sleep.  
  
Izuna was dead in a moment, collapsed in his elder brother's arms, and his once blazing chakra had hardly dimmed to nothing when Madara had launched himself at Tobirama, fathomless killing intent poisoning the air, leaving the Senju rooted where he stood.

Hashirama had intervened, still begging a man he had once called his friend for peace as they decimated the battlefield, sending shinobi from both clans scrambling for some semblance of safety. Tobirama cannot recall who dragged him away from the conflict, and in dark moments still wishes they had left well enough alone.

He had been the one to find them, hours later, been the one to _feel_ -

Tobirama's throat tightens, and his view of the village and lands beyond grows suspiciously blurry, if only for a moment.

They had fallen against each other as their lives ran out, more of a last embrace between constant lovers than the final, desperate strikes of those destined from birth to be mortal enemies.

Afterwards, Tobirama (the cause of all this) had no time for grieve, the responsibilites of the Head of the Senju Clan thrust upon him as Hashirama's unchallenged heir.

The succession of leadership of the Uchiha had not been so clear-cut. Hikaku and Setsuna had both vied for the title of Clan Head, and the rift between the supporters of each had cracked the clan in two.  
  
Hikaku's followers, weary of war, had feared retribution from the Senju, whose shinobi now significantly outnumbered their own and were led by one arguably more skilled than any Uchiha living, and pushed for the clan to leave the Land of Fire and seek more favorable fortunes elsewhere.

This suggestion had been considered utter mutiny, a blasphemous offense to all Uchiha who had ever shed blood to avenge their forebears and preserve their inheritors by Setsuna's contingent.

And so the clan had split, and the adults had followed the shinobi who best represented their own will.

The voiceless Uchiha orphans had either been abandoned by Hikaku, or forcefully claimed by Setsuna, according to conflicting intelligence.

Those that remained in the Land of Fire had avoided large scale conflict for years, as Setsuna attempted and failed to shore up the clan's wealth and numbers.

As the Uchiha struggled, Tobirama, possessed by a fervor mostly driven by never entirely buried guilt, had dedicated himself first to establishing a fragile peace with former enemy clans (if they'd thought Hashirama had been meddlesome, the younger Senju was an outright terror) and then building upon those alliances to fulfill the dream once shared by two young boys on a riverbank- the creation of Konohagakure.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves. Another worthless gesture intended to honor the beloved dead.

The fraudulent Hokage cannot entirely regret his actions on the battlefield that day. He had been a shinobi facing down an enemy, a true threat to his clan, but... had he known the price of his sword stroke, Tobirama would have stayed his hand, would have gladly fallen dead at Izuna's feet to preserve Hashirama.

How obscene it is that _he_ has been the one to walk this path, to live his brother's dream- save for one seemingly unobtainable aspect.

Tobirama had tried, far more for his brother's sake than the Uchiha Clan's own, to meet with Setsuna in peace talks. His invitations, an annual exercise in futility, were always soundly rejected, though just politely enough not to risk rekindling the Senju's ire, and so, with all the responsibilities of overseeing the village to focus on, the Uchiha had been pushed to the back of his mind, a remnant of the past better left to molder.

Then came unprovoked, sporadic hostile encounters between Uchiha and Konoha shinobi, the thwarted attack on the flourishing Academy, and finally the Council's decision to eradicate the dying clan whose leader had chosen to once more incur the wrath of old enemies.

And now...

Tobirama's eyes flit to the chakra signatures clustered hesitantly on the edge of the forest outside of the village's main gate, just as Kagami's distant and weary form steps out of the morning fog.

Perhaps, at last, the threat posed by the Uchiha has come to an end.

 

Representatives of every clan, their respective Heads having been informed by Danzō or Koharu of the night's events, are present as the Uchiha emerge from the forest and cluster warily behind their new Clan Head.

There are few adults in the crowd of just under three dozen, and most of these are old by shinobi standards, or bearing the obvious results of some disabling illness or injury. They are dressed simply, none in armor, and though they carry some meager possessions, there are no obvious weapons among them. One pair stands hand in hand, the slender young woman running her free fingers absently over her burgeoning belly.

The majority of the remaining Uchiha are children, wide-eyed, disheveled, and thin, clutching nervously at each other as they alternate between daring glances at the village and its inhabitants and staring at their own feet.

The fear from all assembled is palpable.

"Poor little pups." An Inuzuka shinobi to Tobirama's left murmurs, and the Hokage can't fault Kagami for doubtless making certain his kin appear as pathetic and unthreatening as possible before the scrutiny of Konoha.

The man himself stands unflinchingly before the low rumbling of those assembled to watch the spectacle, and his dark eyes meet Tobirama's crimson as the Hokage steps to the front of the parted crowd.

There is a still-seeping gash just under Kagami's right eye, crossing over the bridge of his nose. Of course Setsuna had tried to blind him.

The Uchiha takes a step forward (Tobirama can feel the rising tension of his long-suffering and well-hidden bodyguards), and with all the grace he can muster, falls to one knee, head bowed and once again defenseless before the Senju. One by one, the other Uchiha follow suit.

"Lord Hokage Senju Tobirama, I, Uchiha Kagami, Head of the Uchiha Clan, humbly request from Konohagakure aid for my people and refuge for them within its walls in exchange for our devotion to the village. I know this plea may seem ludicrous coming from those so long entrenched in animosity, but I pray your mercy, and if there must first be a price paid for the debt of old transgressions, I offer my life in recompense."

Again, the Uchiha's chakra crackles with the truth of his speech.  
  
Again, the Uchiha's speech is imbued with fanciful drama.

The rumbling consideration from the crowd intensifies as he falls silent.

Tobirama rolls his eyes as he steps forward next to Kagami and puts a firm hand on his shoulder, pulling the surprised shinobi up next to him.

"Stand, all of you." He commands, and the shabby crowd awkwardly scrambles to its feet, but the Senju's focus remains on the exhausted man beside him.  
  
"Long have we awaited this day."

 

Even tucked away from prying eyes in the large meeting hall that has been swiftly cleared to provide temporary shelter for Konoha's newest inhabitants, the Uchiha are solemn and mostly silent.  
  
It is as if they are waiting for something, some signal from their leader as Kagami humbly thanks the medics checking first over the neediest looking children and the rather reluctant pregnant woman.  
  
The Hokage stands to the side, watching as bedrolls, blankets and other necessities are brought in, and can't help but feel a bit of pride in the village's swift and organized response to this unexpected need. It will serve them all well in times of actual emergency.

The scent of food, fresh and hot, suddenly fills the air as a small group of Akimichi, led by Torifu, enter the building and begin setting up tables of simple but wholesome sustenance.

There is an immediate stir among the children, low murmurs and fidgeting, the younger ones pulling on the sleeves of their guardians, or of those only a few years older than themselves and pointing questioningly at the growing arrangement.

One very small boy bursts into tears.

Tobirama catches Kagami's eye from across the room. The shinobi's expression is surprisingly grim, previous affability fled from his face as he stiffly thanks Torifu for the steaming bowl he's been handed.

Every Uchiha eye is on the Clan Head, the tension filling the room so fully there's hardly space to breathe, and the Hokage realizes-

_Poison_.

There may be some sparks of hope flickering, but there is still the overwhelming terror of a final betrayal, fear that they have all been led by a hopeful fool to their deaths.

Uncertainty clearly claws even at Kagami's heart, and it occurs to Tobirama that the doting father has yet to dare ask after little Shisui.

The Uchiha shinobi holds his gaze still, mouth twisting into a grim, tired smile before he turns his attention to his meal.

_And, truly, I have no other choice_.

The Uchiha has entirely surrendered himself, his child, and his clan to the questionable mercy of a Senju.

Casually, without hesitation, and as if he were not being closely observed by dozens of anxious onlookers, Kagami tucks in to his food as the Akimichi patiently serve the hesitant children.  
  
After a moment of complete stillness from the clan, a determined looking boy of perhaps seven years steps from the crowd to his Clan Head's side and, with all the concentration of one engaging a crafty enemy, begins to eat as well.

Kagami smiles down at him. "It's good, eh Fugaku?"

A sharp nod is the only response before the scrawny boy takes another heaping bite. Kagami chuckles lightly before returning to his own meal.

And as simply as that, the spell is broken.  
  
Almost as one, the children eagerly begin to eat, giggling and chattering between mouthfuls, while most of the adults manage near-genuine expressions of gratitude and compliments as the hospitable Akimichi ensure that everyone's belly is filled.

Kagami himself waves away the eventual third helping that Torifu tries to foist on him, though far more graciously than he had accepted the first.

"At least try one of these apples, then." Tobirama's subordinate gently cajoles, "They're crisp and sweet. Your little boy managed to finish two of them all mashed up. Well, aside from the bits he smeared on Hiruzen's face."

Kagami's own face lights like a beacon at the mention of his son.

"Shisui? You looked after him as well?" The Uchiha Head folds into a sudden low bow. "My deepest thanks, Akimichi-san, not only for this wonderful and much-needed meal, but for providing for my dear child when I could not."

Tobirama sighs resignedly. Though he may not be overly fond of the man's flowery manner of speaking, he cannot deny the sincerity that seems to lace the younger shinobi's every word.

Torifu flushes and stutters a bit, trying to downplay his acts of kindness as the Hokage appears by his side.

The small cluster of tired children that had been huddled near Kagami disperse like rabbit kits in the shadow of an approaching hawk.

There is still fear lingering in the air, and Tobirama knows he is a great and not wholly unjustified cause. It will take more than a meal, or a few friendly smiles and a bit of hair tousling to get these children to accept him.

The elder Uchiha favors him with the smile that has grown more desperately weary by the hour, bows (with a bit of obviously pained hesitation and not quite so low this time), and would no doubt start up the cycle of thanks again, save for an impatient wave of the Hokage's hand.

"You will stand before the Council this evening, Uchiha." Tobirama says lowly and the man inclines his head slightly in acknowledgement. "The Clan Heads are certain to have... concerns. I would speak privately with you regarding the matter."

Kagami breaks his gaze to scan the room, to take in all those he has sworn to protect.  
  
Most of the children have quieted again, seeking out a blanket or bedroll to claim as their own while stifling enormous yawns. Their exhaustion is hardly surprising, given the uncertainty and terror of the previous night and the harrowing early-morning journey to a strange and hostile new home. Now, being well-fed and slightly more assured of their own tenuous safety, one by one the little ones are overcome by sleep.

The adults are scattered throughout the room, the expectant woman having also succumbed to her weariness, her partner's gaze flitting from her tired face to her protruding belly as it gently rises and falls with each breath. Most of the others are seemingly divided between keeping watch over their slumbering inheritors and casting suspicious glances in Tobirama's direction.

He rather doubts hair ruffling will win him any allies there either.

Kagami carefully steps over several small snoring bundles on the floor to crouch beside a stern looking older kunoichi bearing a dark patch over her left eye. After a brief and hushed exchange of words, she nods sharply at her newest Clan Head and casts a defiant glare that could be classified as a threat on its own toward the Hokage as Kagami turns and makes his way back to his side. The Uchiha's face looks grim once more- he's clearly reluctant to leave his people.

"Members of my personal guard will continue their watch to ensure the safety of your clan." Tobirama says, tone still low, as Torifu steps closer to his side.

"With your permission, Lord Hokage, and if it would serve to help ease your mind, Uchiha-san, I would like to join that detail." The Akimichi's concerned gaze falls on the sleeping children, doubtless far too frail and thin to the robust man's thinking.

Tobirama's mouth twists a bit.

First Saru, now Torifu. If only the Council's hearts could be swayed so easily.

The Uchiha Head clearly contemplates the man's offer for a moment before another genuine smile crosses his lips. Tobirama can guess Kagami's line of thought: This man cared for my precious child, this man has ungrudgingly aided old enemies humbled by desperate need- I will dare to trust him.

"I am loathe to impose further on your generosity, but would indeed be glad for another merciful pair of eyes watching over them, Akimichi-san." Kagami says, and the Leaf shinobi favors him with a wide smile.

"Ah, it's Torifu, please, Uchiha-san."

"Well, then it's Kagami, if you will, Torifu." The Uchiha offers his hand and the two shake amicably.  
  
There is some very soft murmuring from the Uchiha adults behind them.

"That will do." The Hokage says brusquely. "Torifu, if you are so determined, take your place among the guard. Uchiha- with me."

He turns on his heel and strides toward the exit, somehow knowing the two shinobi are exchanging glances behind his back before Kagami hurries to catch up to him.

 

The further they travel from the meeting hall in the scant moments it takes to reach their destination, the more Kagami's obvious unease increases, until they find themselves standing before a fine home with a grand view of the village beyond.

The Uchiha's dark eyes widen in sudden realisation and he takes an unconscious step toward the door.

Tobirama swiftly overtakes him.

"I believe I should enter first," he says lightly, and without any true reprimand, "Seeing that this is _my_ home."

Instead of the anticipated florid apology, Kagami simply nods tightly and follows close behind as the Hokage (deactivating some particularly vicious wards as he goes) leads they way through the house to the two familiar chakra signatures esconced near the rear.

Saru meets them in the hall, face alight with something like relief. His scraggly beard seems significantly thinner than Tobirama remembers from only a few hours previous.

"Kagami!" The Leaf shinobi wraps a careful arm around the Uchiha's shoulder in a brotherly embrace. "It's good to see you, my friend."

"Likewise, Hiruzen." Kagami returns, but his attention is clearly focused on the room the other man had come from.

Saru chuckles. "He's fine. I left him in Sensei's library; plenty of priceless scrolls for him to play with."

Kagami's eyes widen in alarm as they turn to the Hokage, who merely rolls his own.  
  
"Hilarious, Saru."

The younger shinobi snickers. "I thought so. Peace, Kagami. Shisui is currently preoccupied with some toys that Torifu brought over last night."

"You watched over him." Kagami says softly. "Fed him, kept him safe... I can't possibly thank-"

"Nonsense." Saru interrupts gruffly. "I am the one who should be thanking you. Because of your actions, I spent the morning playing peek-a-boo with an Uchiha child instead of mercilessly slaughtering his kin."

A grim silence then, which Tobirama is again the one to break.  
  
"You'll be expected at this evening's meeting, Saru. Go home, rest. Perhaps wash the the fruit mush from your face."

As if compelled, the younger shinobi rubs a searching hand over his cheek. Finding nothing, he fixes his superior with a petulant glare.

The Hokage allows himself a petty little smile.

"Suppose I'll see you there, Hiruzen." Again Kagami offers his hand and again a Leaf shinobi warmly accepts it.

As soon as his hand falls free from his friend's the Uchiha's attention is focused once more on the room beyond. Only the fraying strands of propriety keep the man from rushing in to see his child.

"Go on." Tobirama instructs, and Kagami takes a tentative step forward as Saru turns to make his exit, rubbing at his abused chin as he passes them.

"Hmm. No wonder he's clean-shaven." Tobirama hears his subordinate mutter good-naturedly to himself as he exits.

The Hokage follows the Uchiha into the room that holds his son.

The little boy is indeed enraptured by the assortment of colorful and apparently tasty blocks that thoughtful Torifu had provided to entertain him, innocently unaware of the presence of his father, frozen in place just beyond the doorway.  
  
Tobirama can feel Kagami's brief but intense struggle to keep his emotions in check before the Uchiha strides forward, throwing his arms out wide and exclaiming, "Shisui!"

Looking up with a squeal of delight, the little boy mimics the motion, knocking over the small tower he'd been building as his father bends to scoop him up.

Which is apparently the very last strain the exhausted Uchiha can endure, as his legs buckle beneath him.

Tobirama grasps the younger shinobi's shoulder as he falls, deftly directing him into a padded wooden chair, Shisui bouncing gleefully on his father's chest as he lands, causing a suppressed groan of pain from the Uchiha.

Wordlessly, the Hokage picks up the unresisting child and deposits him again among his blocks before turning his attention to Kagami. He frowns as he runs a green-glowing hand over the softly gasping Uchiha's chest. The man's ribs are badly bruised, a couple cracked, and Tobirama can't help but lecture as he does what he can to fix the damage.

"Idiot Uchiha - knowing your relentless graciousness, you'd have bowed yourself into a perforated lung before the day was through."

"Ah." Kagami grunts, sheepish and breathless. "Is it that bad?"

Tobirama responds with an answering grunt, and the room falls silent save for the occasional clonk of wood on wood as he focuses on the task at hand.  
  
While Kagami's injuries begin to heal, the Hokage can't help but to add to the collection of superfluous information he has regarding the Uchiha.

The scent of him, of smoke and ash mingling not entirely unpleasantly with the tang of old blood and dried sweat. How some of the heavy tension in Kagami's form seems to evaporate as his pain eases, his posture becoming more languid. That the younger man, helpless again before a shinobi who only hours before had held a blade to his throat, is so strangely calm and trusting under Tobirama's hands. The way his dark hair, ridiculously wavy for an Uchiha, falls over his weary and closed eyes, the thick lashes of the right just barely brushing the gash that Setsuna had bestowed upon his traitorous subordinate as they battled for the future of their clan.  
  
Without conscious intent, Tobirama's right hand moves from the Uchiha's ribs to hover over the man's face, tracing the wound. While the Hokage can mend it to stop its seeping and prevent infection, the scar will mark Kagami for the rest of his life.

The man's eyes flutter open, and he fixes Tobirama with a half-lidded gaze, nearly blissful due to the cessation of pain.

"Shall I _now_ offer you my gratitude?" Kagami murmurs, low and rough, recalling their initial conversation the previous night, and it's several heartbeats before his eyes widen fully and he flushes with the realization of exactly how his words might be interpreted.

"That won't be necessary." Tobirama says dryly, though there's a tiny bit of a foolish smile threatening to pull at his lips. Truly, there is no lasciviousness currently flickering within the younger shinobi's chakra, only a warm glow of sincere relief, and, yes, gratitude.

Another oddity to add to his catalogue, the Hokage thinks as he pulls away and lowers his hands; how bizarrely _pleasant_ the Uchiha Head's chakra feels to the innate sensor.

"Thank you, Lord Tobirama." The man says softly, sitting straighter in his chair as the Hokage pulls one for himself close to the Uchiha.

"You're of no use to me incapacitated." He responds, softer inclinations once more pushed aside and mantle of Konoha's leader firmly in place. "And it would be unwise to appear weaker than you already are before the other Clan Heads."

"Will there truly be great resistance to our joining with the village?" Kagami asks, wariness returning to his face. "There is only so much I can provide in the way of restitution for my predecessors' actions."

"Other than falling to your knees before a curious crowd to offer up your own life?" Tobirama says blandly, and the younger man colors again. "I know your gesture was sincere, Uchiha, but you would provide a far greater benefit to Konoha by serving as a loyal shinobi instead of watering our earth with your blood."

Kagami sighs. "Our fortunes are entirely depleted. Even long hoarded and treasured heirlooms and weapons were futilely bartered away by Setsuna- amidst protest from the elders, of course. All that remains is our claim of some land beyond the river."

Little Shisui, tired at last of his attempts at construction and clutching a bright green block firmly in one tiny hand, crawls over to his father and pulls himself to his feet by grasping onto the man's trousers, letting out a piteous whine.

With a doting coo, Kagami pulls the boy against his chest, painlessly this time, and gently strokes the small dark head as his son nuzzles against his shoulder.

The smile he next graces Tobirama with bares too many teeth, an expression startlingly reminiscent of an apex predator prepared to slaughter all who would dare attempt to harm its young.  
  
It suits him well, the Senju thinks, entirely ignoring the faintest of flutters in his lower belly.

There is indeed a core of steel under all that fluff.

"So, Hokage-sama," the Uchiha drawls, falsely casual, "Who in Konoha begrudges me and mine our next breath the most?"

"That would be the Hyūga Head." Tobirama says, leaning back in his chair. "Closely followed by the leader of the Hatake. Other than my own clan, theirs have suffered the bitterest losses from your forebears. They will be the most difficult to convince that the Uchiha are more valuable to Konoha alive than dead. You have already impressed members of the Sarutobi and Akimichi clans whose opinions are highly regarded. The Nara and Yamanaka will go along with the Akimichi, and the Inuzuka are unlikely to stand against them. The Heads of the smaller clans will almost certainly align themselves with popular opinion."

The Hokage blinks down at Shisui, who, green block wedged firmly in mouth, peers interestedly up at him as Kagami lightly bounces his son on his knee.  
  
Tobirama's fingers absently stroke his chin. "Since you have personally eliminated the old regime that threatened us, and have been verified by both myself and my direct subordinate as an ally, it is almost a certainty that at the conclusion of tonight's assembly the Uchiha will be allowed to integrate into the village."

A soft, relieved sigh from the Uchiha Head. "With minor details such as the true cost of the village's magnanimity to be ironed out later, I assume."

Tobirama smirks. "I hope you're not averse to paperwork."

Kagami groans, but it's an oddly hopeful sound. Shisui pulls his block from his mouth and squirms until he's facing the elder Uchiha.

"Ga!"

The baby insistently bats at his father's mouth with the soggy toy.

Kagami smiles adoringly at the boy as he carefully directs the tiny hand away from his injured face. "No, thank you, Shi-shi."

The child burbles amicably and resumes his enthusiastic gnawing on the block, safe and content in his father's arms.

A shadow falls over Kagami's face as he stares down at the baby.

"They didn't believe it was possible." He says quietly. "Though, truly, I can't blame them."

The Uchiha looks up at Tobirama. "There might have been more of us here, to impose upon your mercy. Last night, after Setsuna was defeated, I tried my best to restore order and made public my intention to plead for aid from Konoha in return for our allegiance to the village. Some of the clan took the announcement... poorly."

Kagami inhales deeply, running a hand through his messy hair. "My efforts were cursed, they said that all I'd done was delay the inevitable, that Konoha would makes slaves of and destroy us all... so they acted first."

The Senju, who had spent the long night focused on Uchiha territory, remembers a handful a chakra signatures fading from existence after the bout for leadership was won.

"Several families were lost to fear and despair. We honored the dead as best we could before our journey. To be frank, we truly did not know that we would ever again return to Uchiha lands." Kagami continues, his gaze heavy upon the Hokage.

"I could promise nothing to those who dared follow me. Every one of us subsisted on the vague hope that you would have use for our lives other than as fodder for your experiments."

Tobirama huffs, running calloused fingers through his own silvery locks, before leaning forward and meeting Kagami's eyes. "You asked had I ever heard it said that the true power of the Uchiha lies in the strength of their love."

Kagami inclines his head slightly and the Hokage continues. "I have witnessed the truth of it for myself. We Senju are a powerful clan, but the Uchiha, when fueled by the immense devotion that can be inspired within them, can be stronger still."

He fixes Kagami with a level look. "Though I will admit to some lingering reservations, I have placed old animosities aside and bear your kin no ill. But, as you claimed last night the desire to ally with a monster so that his claws and teeth would protect your people instead of savaging them, so do I desire that the might of the Uchiha, not only the power of the Sharingan, but the vast and destructive force that is threaded through your bonds of fidelity, be used to safeguard the village, to protect those that I hold dear after I am no longer able."

The Uchiha Head's expression is carefully blank for a long moment before it softens into a small but honest smile, the man's acceptance of the Hokage's terms reflected in the peace of his chakra.

Something eases within the Senju's chest.  
  
"It will take time, but if Konoha proves truly welcoming, nurturing, just, and if it will hold an Uchiha child equal to any other within the village, I am certain that their well-earned devotion will grow." Kagami says.

"Though imperfect, this is a foundation for hope. I cannot ask for more."

Shisui, it seems, is not so entirely satisfied, thrusting demanding hands out toward the porch adjoining the room where a small brown bird has just lighted and burst into warbling song.

Kagami laughs as he tightens his hold on the boy, now squirming to get down from his father's lap and investigate this new and fascinating creature.

"We should return to the others. Who knows what ill fates they might be imagining for us, eh Shisui?"

Tobirama rises and then Kagami, strength somewhat renewed, stands in turn, balancing the baby on his hip as he follows the Hokage onto the porch.

Shisui squawks and waves his green block in protest as the little bird flits away to a safer perch in a nearby fruit tree.

The Uchiha Head just beams, holding his son close as he stands at the Hokage's side, taking in the impressive view of the village beyond, spread out bright and promising before them.

A gusting breeze ruffles their hair and rustles through densely leafed trees, boisterous and warm. If the Senju were a man to hold credence in such things, it might seem something like a blessing.

Choosing to embrace the no doubt fleeting moment of contentment, a true and easy smile graces Tobirama's face as his eyes fall to Kagami's once more.

"Welcome home."

 


End file.
